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(Continued from page 4) Google for the same message, or a key phrase from
that message. (highlight, right-click, search Google).
You'll often see that many other people have re-
font and type size for easy reading. Thus, the reading
limitations of a phone or small tablet are offset by the ceived the same or similar fraudulent message.
increased legibility that Libby provides for articles you
choose to read.
There are 423 different magazines in the “Tech and
Gaming” category, so you are sure to find some that will
interest you – whether you are into Windows PCs, Macs,
iPads, Linux, iPhones, or Android. Pay Libby a visit!
Would-be cybercriminals using social engineering
methods are very opportunistic. For example, this
Phil
time of the year the names of shopping websites
such as Amazon and Mayfair are used in sending
out millions of emails claiming issues with your ac-
(Continued from page 5) count or recent order and asking for personal infor-
mation. They know consumers are most likely to
tached files – once they are opened, these attach- have made purchases this time of the year.
ments can install malware to give someone else
control over your computer. They can then initiate The scammer wants to panic you into doing some-
attacks on other computers, including by sending thing. Don’t be threatened by an email. Does the
spam (often infected) to every contact in your ad- message urgently ask for help or otherwise appeal
dress book. to your emotions? These are common techniques.
Do not respond to an email threatening to suspend
Watch for poor English your account if you do not answer in a short time.
Poor grammar or words used in an unusual way are
possible indications of phishing. Always be suspi- Homoglyph attacks
cious; looking for unusual language and vocabulary, Homoglyph attacks rely on replacing characters in
or misspelled words can help prevent you from be- addresses with ones that look similar, or are the
coming the next victim. Poor spelling and other same, but belong to different alphabets. These at-
grammar mistakes are common with phishing emails tacks are extremely dangerous for users because
that have been translated from other languages. there is a very limited chance of detecting the trick.
This kind of clue is less common today because the Like the attack on PayPal users in which the ad-
quality of social engineering has improved, so you dress contained the “correct letters” taken from our
are likely to receive a more professional presenta- Latin alphabet – with two exceptions. The attackers
tion. Another thing that can signal an attempted at- replaced both instances of the letter P with a “P”
tack is generic greetings such as "Dear recipient" or look-alike letter, but from a different alphabet. This
" Dear friend". “P” look-alike letter was taken from the Russian al-
phabet, where it is equivalent to the letter R. With
There’s sometimes a purpose behind misspellings this kind of attack, you are dependent on the other
and poor syntax. Cybercriminals most successfully clues discussed in this article to protect yourself.
prey on uneducated computer users, knowing them
to be less observant and therefore easier targets.
David Kretchmar
Computer Technician
Is it too good to be true or is it frightening? Sun City Summerlin Computer
Social engineering focuses on two human weak- Club
nesses, fear and greed. Does the email promise you https://www.scscc.club
a windfall of cash? Does it suggest you inherited a dkretch (at) gmail.com
fortune or will be paid a fortune to help someone
move money out of their country? Here’s an idea:
May 2021 6
